Ada Rubenstein

An ornate silver Torah cover depicting the twelve tribes of Israel hangs framed on the wall of Ada Rubenstein’s St. Paul apartment, a shining reminder of her dedication to her faith. But to see her devotion to serving her community, you must look deeper.

“I got inspiration from my mother,” says Rubenstein, who turns ninety next month. She recalls selling vanilla door-to-door and stuffing envelopes as a child to support Hadassah, a women’s organization that emphasizes community involvement and growth in America and Israel. “She loved Hadassah, but she was never president, so I said I would be president for her.”           

Rubenstein met and exceeded her goal. Not only did she reside over Hadassah, but throughout the 1970s she found herself at the head of the board for Shalom Home (she was the first female chair), the United Jewish Fund’s Women’s Board, and the Women’s Philanthropy Division of United Jewish Communities. She served as national secretary for the Council of Jewish Federations, led the Mother’s March for the March of Dimes in the 1950s, took numerous groups to Israel, and recently completed fifty solicitations for the UJF.

“She was a part of the board long before women were allowed to be part of the board,” says Rabbi Bernard Raskas of the Temple of Aaron. “There is not a Jewish organization in the Twin Cities she hasn’t touched.”

This praise resonates as Rubenstein makes her way around her apartment, pointing to the walls filled with plaques thanking her for years of service—1977 Jewish War Vets Person of the Year, United Jewish Fund award for volunteerism in 1999, and on and on and on.

The most important honor, however, says Rubenstein, was receiving the 1997 Woman of the Year award from Hadassah. For the first time, Rubenstein says, she realized she was leaving an impression on others.

“It was the first time I ever had a feeling I was a mentor to other women,” Rubenstein says. “At ninety, it is a wonderful feeling to think I may have had an impact on other people.”